My Career Choice...

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/media/columns/medialife/6099/
This was an article from New York magazine, by Michael Wolff.

I am majoring in performance music on classical upright bass, and may add an emphasis in jazz in the future. I am also studying bass guitar, and for my profession I would like to play in a big orchestra, or I would really like to play electric in a rock band. I found this article, that unfortunately doesn't make that profession seem like a very good one. It basically says that the internet has destroyed the music industry for the musicians because of file sharing and free downloading. They say that because fans can get all the music they want for free they won't buy albums and hence the performers won't make any money.

I honestly don't see this as a problem. Maybe pop stars are having troubles with selling albums now a days, but I don't think it's because of the internet and file sharing. From what I've seen and heard, the pop music industry is going down the drain on it's own. Everything is just copys of origional hits, (many artists even use rhythms and melodies from previous songs that had been successful because they can't come up with anything new. Such as Gwen Steffani doing "If I Were a Rich Girl," which is a knockoff of "If I Were A Rich Man," from Fiddler on the Roof, and some new song [I'm not sure who does it, it sounds like Rianna, but I've seen it written as the Pussycat Dolls] that is a knockoff of "Tainted Love," by The Clash.) or else is just crappy music. So it doesn't surprize me that people aren't buying their albums.

Rock, on the other hand, is a different story. There are many new bands coming out that each have their own distinct sound, and are building up great fan basses. Rock fans are loyal, and most will put out the $12-15 to buy the actual CD rather than just copying it or downloading, because they want to support their band. Also, rock bands tour quite a bit more than other artists. That's pretty much the whole point for rock artists, and fans still have to pay to go see them play. So even if they don't make as much as they could by selling their albums because of the internet, as long as these bands keep touring, they'll keep making money. I'm on the concerts committee here, and I know what bands charge to play a venue, and even the lesser known bands charge enough that if they keep touring they'll make plentey to survive on.

So I'm not worried at all about having a career as a musician. I'm sure there will be hard times for me, but I'm willing to go through with that as long as I get to do what I love. Obviously, that's playing bass.